LL Cool J unpacks hip-hop history with 'CBS Mornings' hosts as Grammy winner returns with major tour in 30 years
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: LL Cool J will finally be back on tour, performing across the country with his exciting Rock The Bells Festival. And not only he will be on stage, but also many other hip-hop legends and emerging artists of the scene.
The rapper appeared on 'CBS Mornings' to talk about the history of hip-hop and how the festival has helped commemorate the rich and vibrant culture of the music genre. He also revealed the artists who will be part of the lineup of the highly anticipated festival.
Rock The Bells to 'celebrate Hip-Hop'
This is the second time Cool J is holding and curating the Rock The Bells Festival, which is set to be held at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. The festival will have big names like Ludacris, Queen Latifah, Jungle Brothers, and a lot more. "What went into picking these artists?" host Nate Burleson brought up to which Cool J responded with, "I just really wanted to celebrate Hip-Hop culture in a big way. And I wanted to give fans of all different eras during that spectrum and time horizon an opportunity to really embrace the culture in a big way."
Host Gayle King also asked Cool J for his early thoughts on hip-hop which first started as more than just a musical movement. "To me, it was just the biggest thing in the world," the rapper said, "In my mind, it was already everything that you people are seeing and hearing now." He continued with how the genre had affected not only him but his community as well, saying, "I had never heard people like myself sound so empowered before...This was positive...It came from a place of desire to make it."
LL Cool J returns to touring arenas after 30 years
After the festival ends, Cool J is set to go on his own tour for his all-new era called F.O.R.C.E, an acronym for Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy. This is his first time doing an arena tour in three decades and it instantly became one of the most anticipated events of the year. "I'll do little new music but obviously I'm gonna dig in the crates and do the classics," he shared on the morning show. The tour will be kicked off soon after the festival on August 11, starting in Baltimore, Maryland.